Typically, the snowpack provides up to 30% of the state's annual freshwater resources and is at a seasonal peak depth in early April. But in the face of mild Pacific storms that brought rain instead of snow, as well as drier-than-average conditions and a record-warm winter, the snow cover stood at just 5% of average on April 1, by far the lowest level ever recorded.

Conditions are so dire that California Governor Jerry Brown announced on Wednesday the first-ever statewide mandated water restrictions, aiming to achieve a 25% cut in water use across the state. While the governor's executive order would require agricultural interests to report more information to ...